


Happy Birthdays

by ma_luna



Series: Miraculous Seasons [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug, どうぶつの森 | Animal Crossing Series
Genre: Capitalism, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Pole Dancing, Slight Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-05-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:33:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24456748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ma_luna/pseuds/ma_luna
Summary: I'm just terrible at summaries! I'll think about it but in the meantime, I hope you like it.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: Miraculous Seasons [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1766398
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Happy Birthdays

** Spring **

Marinette loved her island. Well, it wasn’t _her_ island. But she knew every nook and cranny, every rock and tree on the island that she might as well have called it her own. She was turning twelve tomorrow and she was excited to see what the villagers had planned for her. Well, it was the same every year.

Buck would tell her there’s an urgent meeting in his house. She’d be lead inside with the lights switched off (which would’ve been completely useless with the sun outside seeping in through the windows). At the count of three, all her closest friends would blow the poppers open and surprise her with a birthday song. Then they’d spend the rest of the afternoon playing cheesy party games and eating cupcakes that Bea baked for them. It was more than a celebration; it was tradition.

Life on her island was slow and every day was peaceful and much of the same. Things never moved much since they were first crafted and placed there twelve years ago. The villagers might call it old and worn but Marinette liked it that way.

She said her hellos and good mornings to all her friends— Diva, Hans, Barold (who even worked up the courage to say hello first!) She dropped by the airport to give the dodo brothers their order of freshly baked bread from her father’s shop. It was surprising to see Audie, Julia, and Patty at the airport this early in the morning. Usually, it only meant one thing— there was a guest on the island!

Celebrity guests would often come and visit the island. Long ago, K.K. Slider came and gave a concert. C.J. used to come over to shoot vlogs. Marinette’s island was once a popular tourist destination and her parents would always tell her that travelers came from far just to be able to taste her father’s cooking. Recently, fewer and fewer guests would come over and never for longer than a day. Even Celeste’s visits had become less frequent. The adults tried to hide it, but Marinette knew there was something wrong.

Marinette poked her head through the gathering crowd around the port and saw Tom Nook with an expensive and intimidating man trailing behind him. Tom Nook looked nervous. The man had silver hair and a cold smile. He looked around their dilapidated port with carefully masked disdain. His polished leather shoes and crisp gray suit looked out of place among the threadbare dusters. Marinette couldn’t put her finger on it but she immediately sensed something grim was brewing.

She quietly walked to her favorite spot on the island. On her way there, she spotted Blathers watering the white lilies in his garden. It was unusual to see him out in the daytime. No doubt he must’ve heard the commotion from the arrival of the strange man. He noticed the downcast expression on Marinette’s face and waved her over with a neatly wrapped present in his wing.

“An advanced happy birthday to you, Marinette! Here’s a present for the bravest and kindest explorer I know!”

“Thank you, Blathers.” She accepted the present half-heartedly and smiled.

Blathers hooted, “Whatever is the matter, my dear? I could always lend an ear or two. Owls can hear up to ten times better than humans, after all!”

Marinette giggled and her laughter trailed off as she looked up at the line of white clouds the visitor’s jet left. The streak of white like a tear on an otherwise perfectly cloudless day. “Things will always stay the same, won’t they?”

Blathers watched thoughtfully as a pink cherry blossom petal fell inside his watering can. “Everything changes, my dear. Even spring ends and summer begins when the time is right. But in the past twelve years you’ve spent on our island, has spring ever forgotten to come around?”

Marinette shook her head. “That would be awful! Or my birthday would never come.” Blathers laughed and pat the girl on her head.

“Or you’d never grow!” He corrected. “We are the ones who habitually change! Most things stay the same. Our leaves may beome different but our roots often remain intact, Marinette.”

* * *

Marinette was sitting in the little library on the cliff behind the museum. She was curled on the creaky rattan armchair that had been there since before Blathers arrived on the island— which is to say, a long time ago. The view of the island from her hidden library was one of her favorite. She could spot her house next to Diva’s and the dock with the visitor’s sparkling new seaplane parked next to the shabby airport.

Tom Nook was showing the visitor the rundown Nook’s Cranny shop. Timmy and Tommy followed the crowd wide-eyed, and ready to help their new customers. The strange man was followed by his own herd of expensive-looking friends dressed in office clothing. They each had a tablet in hand which they used to take notes and photos of the place. Like misplaced business folks going on an island tour.

Marinette had been mulling over the meaning of Blathers’ words. She loved trees a lot but she never thought of becoming one when she grew older. Someone sneezed behind her and Marinette jumped up in surprise. Hardly anyone ever visited her up here.

He looked at her with a bashful expression. Marinette stared at him curiously— her suspicions soon to vanish the more she studied him. He had beautiful leaf-green eyes and a mop of golden hair. He put his hands behind his back and blush tinted his cheeks a deep red. The boy probably came with the shiny seaplane and the horde of business-tourists.

“Hello, um.. I’m sorry for scaring you!” He stuck out a hand, “My name is Adrien.”

Marinette studied his outstretched hand confusedly. Nobody in her village befriended people with a handshake and she had never seen one in real life before today. But she held it reluctantly. The boy sighed in relief. He must’ve thought Marinette didn’t want to shake the hand he sneezed on (which was on his left hand, by the way).

“My name is Marinette.” She replied. She didn’t get the same uneasy feeling she had with the silver-haired man and deemed him safe. He looked to be about her age, though a good deal shorter and she smiled because she rarely made friends her age on the island. “Do you want to be my friend?”

At her proposal, the boy’s eyes shone; he looked like he was about to cry. “Y-yes! It’s nice to meet you, Marinette.” The boy’s face flushed brighter and he looked giddy just saying her name out loud. This boy is even stranger than his father, Marinette thought to herself.

“Do you wanna catch bugs, Adrien?” Marinette pulled out her favorite purple star net and handed Adrien an identical net painted green. Adrien looked at the net as if it were made of gold nuggets. He held on to it firmly with an expression that said he’d cherish it forever. Marinette laughed, “You’re never going to catch bugs holding it close to your chest like that! Come on!”

Marinette dashed off to the forest where some freshly chopped trees would definitely house new beetle species. Adrien wasn’t a very fast runner and Marinette would slow down a few paces to let him catch up. But she’d spot a butterfly nearby, chase after and swiftly catch it. Adrien would watch in wonder, clapping excitedly at every common bluebottle and stinkbug she’d show off.

“Do you always release your bugs after catching them? Wouldn’t you like to keep them to put on display?” Marinette looked offended. Adrien quickly backtracked, not wanting to insult his new friend. “I mean, I’m sure you’ve got a sizable collection already!”

Marinette didn’t know what sizable meant but she did think about why she didn’t start collecting bugs. She shrugged, “I give Blathers all the new bugs I caught so he could keep them in his museum but I release the other ones because its friends might start to get lonely.”

Adrien’s face grew sullen, “Yeah, it gets lonely when you’re kept in isolation all the time.” Marinette also didn’t know what isolation meant but it didn’t sound very fun. She held on to her friend’s hand and pulled him along excitedly. “Come on! The forest is just across this river.”

Marinette hopped over little islands in the middle of the river. She looked back to make sure Adrien wouldn’t fall but she heard a splash and looked back too late. Adrien was sitting with the river’s water just an inch above his waist. The river wasn’t very deep and Marinette loved wading in it to catch the fresh salmon in the summer.

A pale chub jumped over Adrien’s lap. The little fish turned and gave Adrien a look of disapproval before it swam upstream. Marinette laughed at the confusion on Adrien’s face and the soaked boy joined in her laughter. Marinette gasped and pointed at the green net in Adrien’s hand. It had miraculously escaped the fall undamaged. In its meshwork, a big brown insect wiggled around looking for an escape.

Marinette clapped in delight. “That’s a water beetle, Adrien! I’ve been trying all spring to catch one to give to Blathers. Good job on catching one!”

Minutes later they were sitting on the bank of the river, Adrien huddled close to a fire Marinette crafted for them. Adrien had a beach towel wrapped around him and his shorts lying on the grass. Marinette was telling him the time she fell into that same river one winter. Though the fire and the sun were warm on their skins, Marinette’s stories made Adrien picture the cool winter morning with perfect clarity. The spring afternoon slowly melted into the stories of the seasons on her island.

“I’d love to go mushroom hunting in autumn.” Adrien sighed wistfully. Marinette’s eyes twinkled in excitement, “Yes! You’re going to love fall on my island! My favorite is the pumpkin spice tea Bea makes on cold nights.”

Adrien shook his head sadly, “My father wouldn’t allow it. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow.”

“Then come back!” Marinette said it so simply as though it were obvious.

Again the boy shook his head, Marinette wondered if his brain rattled from all the shaking he’s been doing. “Does your father not like pumpkin spice?”

Adrien laughed, “That’s not it… I’m actually not too sure if he had ever tried pumpkin spice. I’ve only ever seen him drink black coffee.”

Marinette made a face. She had tried it once after Blathers had left a cup on his desk next to a plate of sugar cookies. “Only smarty-pants drink coffee.”

Adrien laughed again, Marinette got a nice and warm feeling every time she made the boy smile. “I have a theory that people who drink black coffee secretly hate it. They just drink it to look older!” Marinette puffed her cheeks and covered her mouth with both hands at the thought of Blathers with graying feathers and a pince-nez balancing precariously on his beak.

“Well, if you can’t come back for fall, at least you can make it to my birthday tomorrow!” Marinette grinned excitedly. Maybe some changes to tradition weren’t so bad after all.

She turned to Adrien and stuck out a pinky, “Promise me you’ll still be around for my birthday!”

Adrien hesitated, he didn’t want to break his first promise to his first friend. “I’ll be around tomorrow.”

“And the year after and the year after that and the years after!” Marinette wrapped her pinky around his and her grin widened. “You can invite your dad to live here. Everyone loves it here. When you move in, we can play every day and fish when the seasons' change and Blathers will have loads of bugs and fish by this time next year he’ll have to add another wing to the museum!”

The words Blathers spoke to her this morning echoed in the back of her mind hauntingly but she brushed them off. He was the one who said things never changed around her island, after all.

“Things will be a lot more fun with you around!”

She said these things with such certainty, Adrien could picture it clearly and he slowly allowed himself the luxury to dream.

Marinette and Adrien parted ways by the airport where the man in the gray suit (or who Adrien referred to as “father”) stood impatiently waiting for his son to return. Marinette steered clear of that crowd but shot Tom Nook a look of concern. The old tanooki looked agitated.

She rushed home only to find her belongings stored the cardboard boxes villagers donate to their community recycling bin. Villagers rarely asked to leave the island— most almost always came to move in.

“Mom, why are my things in boxes?” Marinette asked. Her parents’ eyebrows furrowed and the look in their eyes was one Marinette had never seen on them before, one of resignation.

Her mother bit her lip and looked at her husband. “Dear, we have some things to talk about.”

Her father was on the verge of tears. “We have to move.”

* * *

**Summer**

The good news was that Adrien couldn’t break his promise. The bad news was that he never got to tell Marinette the good news. She had disappeared the next day with her family and their belongings. The same day Adrien’s father had told him they were moving to the island. Adrien played alone for the rest of their stay.

He caught the whispers of the villagers; rumors of how the Dupain-Cheng family was kicked off the island. Upon approaching any of them, they’d exchange nervous looks and mumbles of yoga at the town square before dispersing in a hurry.

He passed by two intimidating villagers (Apollo and Lucky seemed to be their names) carrying off a birthday table with a deflated-looking cake squished at the center. A sniffling line-green dragon (his name was probably Drago) sat not too far off with a gentle-looking elephant (Dizzy, if Adrien was not mistaken) comforting the bawling dragon and wiping a spot of icing from his muzzle.

“I miss little Mari.” Drago cried miserably.

Me too, Adrien thought to himself feeling equally miserable.

Nine years later, and Adrien was still stuck on the god-forsaken island. Marinette’s birthday had passed along with the quiet breeze of spring. It was summer and Adrien’s own birthday was just around the corner.

His best friend Nino often dropped by for the summer when the school year ended. He always arrived on his family’s private yacht and they would go boating and mystery island touring on their own. He was due to arrive any minute. Adrien was seated on the old seaport situated at the back of the bustling island. Adrien stared at the horizon cheerlessly.

Adrien’s father— ever the venture capitalist— had decided that Agreste Corporations was going into the tourism industry nine years ago. He bought this island at the objection of many locals and turned it into a five-star resort.

The island was immaculate in that it had been harassed and modified by human hands— every rock upturned and every tree uprooted. Nothing of the rural island was left. He had grown to love the old island before the construction started but as many more birthdays passed, more of nature had become shaped and manicured. It was becoming difficult to imagine Marinette among the slip-and-slides and the cold concrete streets of the urbanized island. The bugs have gone quiet since the exterminators had visited yesterday.

The newly christened Agreste Island wasn’t an isolated case. There were dozens of companies who caught onto the brilliant Gabriel Agreste's schemes and hopped on the bandwagon not long after A.I. opened.

The nearby islands were also owned by the Agreste Corporation but further out were more islands that had been developed by different companies. Last year, Nino and Adrien had found an island full of _gatchapons_. They spent a good number of bells on little keychains that Adrien had started using as lures for fishing. This year, Nino assured Adrien that this particular island they were going to was a load of fun. Adrien didn’t trust Nino’s definition of fun.

As they were pulling up at the dock, Adrien could see the flashing lights behind the foliage and the steady thrum of party music. He groaned and demanded they turn around. The sun was beginning to set but if it were a choice between landing on a scorpion-infested mystery island and a bar island, Adrien would take his chances with the scorpions.

“Come on, man!” Nino pulled him off the boat and handed his keys to the valet seaman.A load of other boats was docked and Adrien guessed that Nino’s classmates were probably on the island too.

“I know what you’re thinking. No, I didn’t invite my friends here. So Mr. Adrien Agreste— my friend, supermodel, and heir of the billion-bell empire— will remain anonymous for most of the night.” Nino bowed low, gesturing towards the entrance of the island. The neon light overhead read, “Welcome to Summer Isle!”

Adrien vaguely wondered what the island did during the fall— if their partygoers went mushroom hunting and served pumpkin spice drinks.

The party seemed to be in full swing even though the sun had just set. Nearly everyone was in swimsuits. Those who weren’t taking a dip were lounging by the bars and there were bars at every turn. The island was divided into differently themed drinking areas. There was one decorated with seashells by the beach which came to Adrien as no surprise. One was designed like a 90s retro diner with more neon lights and retro arcade games. Nino lead Adrien to an expensive-looking area of the island.

The bar was decorated with dark oak furniture and the glasses were served in glittering crystal glasses. The sounds of the island were muffled with the shrubs and trees surrounding them. There were fewer people here which made Adrien think that this was an area exclusive to special members. All seats and tables surrounded a short stage with a silver pole standing innocently at its center. Adrien took one long look at the pole and felt his face go bright red. He was thankful the light was dimmer in this part of the island.

“Nino!” He hissed. His friend had just finished ordering their drinks. He caught the look on his friend’s face and burst out laughing.

“Took you long enough.”

“We’re at a strip club?”

“Strip island, technically.”

“Strip island?!” Adrien cried incredulously. Nino chuckled. “Not funny.”

“Relax! I know the guy who owns this place. He’s a good man who pays his workers fairly and the employees all applied here voluntarily. I’ve met some of his employees and I think they enjoy working here. Just think of them as professionally trained dancers.”

“Dancers?!”

“Well, tonight’s a special performance. Her name is Miraculous Ladybug. Well, her fans call her that. But her stage name is just Ladybug.” Nino handed Adrien his phone displaying the ad for this special performance. It was a red silhouette of a slim woman dotted with black spots.

“Nino…” Adrien warned in a low voice.

Nino rolled his eyes, “It’s not like you’re a virgin!” Adrien had nothing to say to that.

He laughed and put his hands in the air. “Hey, man! You’re turning twenty-one! We might as well go out with a bang.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“Really not funny, dude. What if someone sees me here and uploads it on the NookNet? My father’s going to kill me!” Adrien pouted and his face was flushed a deep crimson which Nino couldn’t take seriously and began cracking up again.

The show began just as the waiter set their drinks down. The lights grew dim, plunging the bar into darkness. The smoke machine sputtered somewhere in the back and fog filled the platform’s floor. The bar music suddenly changed rhythm and the beats mellowed. A woman stood before Adrien, all lights and all eyes trained on her.

The room was entranced. She wore a tight red bodysuit spotted with black. The suit accentuated the curve of her body. The woman’s eyes were bright and playful. Eyes that reminded Adrien of a warm spring day with the sky a brilliant blue. Her dark hair was done in pigtails. Not really a hairstyle Adrien had expected to see on a pole dancer but at the moment, he didn’t care— he was completely spellbound to Ladybug.

It was no ordinary dance. She danced gracefully in a way that made Adrien wonder if he could even call it a dance. She spun in slow and captivating circles around the pole, drawing her audience closer and closer to her performance.

Slowly, the ribbons in her hair came undone. When she reached into the air, it was as though she were reaching for her lover. When she crept up the pole, she turned away from his grasp, just barely out of reach. Her lover had played her before and she was only making her move. But when she bent back down the pole, her body moved as if grazed by a feather-light touch; torn between wanting him and wanting him to pay for hurting her. Both ribbons have fallen off, her hair was disheveled as though he had run his hands through the tangles as they made love. Her dark red lips ever so slightly parted in a quiet sigh.

Adrien was desperate to see how it ended. At the climax, Ladybug rolled onto the floor, having finally escaped her invisible lover’s grasp. She reached out past the platform, nearly falling over the edge. Adrien found himself staring into her eyes.

On the platform, her face was hidden with the shadows playing on her features. But her eyes shone as though undisturbed by fickle lights. Her eyes lingered on his a moment longer before she spun back into her choreography. Adrien felt desire flare up in him. He ached to have her look in his direction once more. He craved her body pressing against his— her sultry breath hot and heavy on his neck.

Ladybug bowed signaling the end of the performance and the bar suddenly burst in applause. Someone was even sobbing in one corner. The light slowly grew brighter and Nino downed the last of his drink and poked Adrien back into reality. “Come on, man.” Nino slapped a bundle of bells on the table and waved the waiter.

Adrien blinked confusedly and it slowly dawned on him that the show was over. “Ladyb—?” He mumbled dumbly.

Nino slapped his friend’s back good-naturedly, “You may need one or two drinks more, my friend.”

* * *

Everywhere Ladybug went, Adrien’s eyes followed. It was probably creepy but Ladybug sashaying back and forth in front of their table wasn’t helping. Nino pointed out that standing next to the bar where the waiters came and went for orders wasn’t helping either. Ladybug changed out of her costume and wore a maroon summer dress. She had a red lily tucked behind her ear.

Adrien couldn’t hear his friend, couldn’t hear the music, couldn’t hear the swarm of girls giggling beside them daring each other go up and talk to Adrien and Nino first.

Nino left the table when a girl who introduced herself as Alya struck up a conversation. He shot his friend one concerned look but Ladybug caught his eye. She winked at him in a way that made Nino think Adrien was in for a hell of a good time or a whole lot of trouble. Either way, Nino was glad his friend wouldn’t be alone for the rest of the night. With that, Nino turned his attention to the girl who was steering him to the more isolated corners of the bar.

Minutes later, Adrien found himself at the edge of the island closer to the employees quarters, where they were (as far as he was concerned) alone and undisturbed.

He was up against the stone wall with the girl of his dreams trailing kisses down his neck. “You’re beautiful.” He declared. Her eyes glittered dangerously.

“You’re not so bad yourself.” She grinned. Adrien felt his face flush all over again and she giggled endearingly.

Ladybug took her mouth in his once more and Adrien pressed into her, deepening the kiss. His hands caressed her cheek and, a few hazy minutes after began trailing down to her breasts. Ladybug gasped and pulled away.

Adrien immediately regretted his decision. “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked!” He apologized, hoping he didn’t blow his chance. To his relief, she chuckled. Ladybug took his face in her hands as he had done earlier and planted a soft and short kiss on his lips.

Adrien closed his eyes hoping for more but Ladybug only let her hands drop.

“I am afraid I might want more if we go any further.”

“Then I’ll give it to you. I’ll give anything to you.” Adrien said, reaching for her.

She met his gaze and Adrien felt his legs turn to jelly. It was a miracle he was still standing with this beautiful woman in front of him. He didn’t know why he felt so drawn to her. She felt so familiar yet he knew he had never met anyone like her.

Ladybug stared at her hand being gripped so tenderly and sincerely and smiled. “You’re definitely something else, Adrien Agreste.”

It didn’t register that she had said his full name out loud. All he could hear was her short and quiet breathing and his heart beating loudly in his ears. Ladybug embraced him and finally, Adrien’s legs gave way. He slowly melted at her touch and Ladybug seemed to have the same idea; she didn’t protest and sank to the ground with him.

Adrien held Ladybug in his arms and whispered, “I won’t do anything you don’t want me to do.”

Ladybug smiled and cuddled deeper into his embrace. “Let’s stay this way. For a while longer.”

Adrien had never known such peace. The island behind them pulsated with the rhythm of the party but the singing of the cicadas drowned it out. The fire in his blood had slowed to a warm and steady flame. The horizon beyond the sea was full of possibilities.

* * *

The next day, Nino found him passed out in the same place. The world was spinning around him. Adrien was pretty sure it wasn’t because of the booze but the absence of a mysterious pretty girl in his arms.

When they asked around, the management explained it was Ladybug’s last night working with them. Her boat left at sunrise. Nobody knew where she was headed to next. When it was clear they weren’t going to find any more answers, they thanked the staff for the great party and left Summer Isle before noon.

Nino was at the helm. He called out to Adrien who was seated at the back of their boat. “Where to next, Mr. Agreste?

“Shut up, Lahiffe.”

“Lahiffe doesn’t carry the same feeling as Agreste.” Adrien only shook his head, a faint smile on his lips. He touched his lips and convinced himself her warm kiss wasn’t a trick of the mind.

“Would you pull up the Nook Map on your phone?” Adrien felt his pockets for his phone and found all his cash and cards as he left them, the girl was no thief at least.

“Have you got it?” Nino asked impatiently.

“Yeah, hang on,” Adrien said. A post-it note was stuck to the screen of his phone. He felt his breath hitch and tore it off excitedly. The words were printed in neat handwriting, ‘catch me if you can’ and under those words, a ladybug drawn in a childish fashion.

Adrien sighed happily. She was real and she was out there. He rested his chin on the railing of the yacht as Summer Isle slowly receded into the horizon.

“Happy birthday, by the way!” Nino screamed into the wind.

**Author's Note:**

> Growing up is scary and sometimes, it gets pretty lonely. Turning 21 during these times make things even scarier. But I hope that you know you're not alone and I'm just an animal crossing island (and many many physical islands) away. Ily, hoe! And happy birthday!


End file.
